I didn't have the worst acne imaginable, but you could see the potential for it on my face, chest, and back. I thought I'd share this story, since my acne scarred more than just my skin. The ending is a happy one, but the journey was a lesson in discovering how deep rock bottom can really be.

The moment I hit puberty I was hit with acne. It began on my face, and as I aged spread to my chest and then my shoulders. The zits were gigantic, or clustered, and always seemed raw and red even though I did everything I could to keep my face clean and moisturized. I was in constant pain due to my shirt rubbing the acne on my chest raw with every movement. I wore the softest undershirts I could find at all times, and when I finally didn't need them anymore they were stained red from all the blood.

I lived my life avoiding eye contact, knowing that if they looked me in the eyes they were also looking at my face and acne. I knew they would look me in the eyes even when I didn't return the gesture, but it was still somewhat of a relief for me. This became a habit which carried with me for a long time. I skipped school very often, because some days I felt like I couldn't handle the exposure. I didn't want people looking at me. I didn't want them thinking about me. I didn't want to sit in class, distracted by the physical pain and mental anguish. I skipped enough school to warrant a repetition of that entire year, but I was lucky enough to have teachers that were caring, understanding, and for whatever reason liked me. They saw me through to the end and gave me passing grades.

Nothing worked for clearing my acne, not until Accutane. There were so many products marketed for curing acne, but none worked. Not the popular ones, and certainly not the unpopular ones. Accutane was the miracle cure. The side effects included extremely dry skin, and a clear lack of interest in doing pretty much anything. My body exploded in acne, and then it all disappeared. Smaller explosions went off here and there, but cleared all the same. Somehow my face was spared of scarring, but my chest and shoulders weren't. After two rounds of it, I looked and felt better than ever.

Nearly ten years later, I get a zit here and there, but I've been clear ever since.

The following user gives a hug of support to lun4tic:Tulipsss (06-27-2012)